yardz

NICOTIANA SYLVESTRIS - WELL WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES

 

In the frenzy of seed sowing this spring I think some seed labels must have moved seed trays on their own accord! My plan was to have pots of warm orange red Rudbeckias on the edge of the deck to give me lots of colour for the late summer and autumn. Everything was going well until my suspicions fell that the plants that were supposed to be Rudbeckias had very hairy leaves and did not in any way look like the plant they were meant to be, they were without doubt Nicotianas, 'Tobacco Plants'. I am very free at seed sowing especially with free seeds that come with magazines such as the Gardens' Illustrated.

Looking through my seed box I find that I did sow some Nicotiana sylvestris that came as a magazine give away and had just forgotten. Still I planted them anyway and I must say they are looking majestic. They are 4' tall with drooping tubular flowers of pure white and leaves large enough to make a decent cigar. I understand they are perennial in mild areas so I hope to get them through the winter.

Mistakes ain't always a bad thing.

THE ULTIMATE GARDEN BUCKET

 

I know this is slightly out of my remit of introducing things for the yardz lifestyle but I just couldn't resist posting about this amazing bucket - the Scrunch=Bucket.

'It is the multi-purpose container.
Fold it, roll it, scrunch it, pop it back into shape –
the ultimate collapsible bucket.

Designed to be used by children at home, on holiday (it makes a great sandcastle), indoors and outdoors, and by all those who require a storage or carrying container that travels and folds away taking up minimum space. Ideal for walking, camping, caravanning and boating.'

It would also make a great alternative hanging basket!

RRP £7.99

http://www.scrunch-bucket.com/collapsiblebucket.html

FRONT GARDENS GYO

 

There was an interesting piece on last nights BBC 1's Countryfile programme about the 'food up front' organisation that believes in encouraging residents to use what ever space they have in the front of their property to grow food rather than ornamental plants.

'At Food Up Front we believe that urban front gardens, balconies and windowsills are valuable areas of land that can provide a substantial yield of nutritious vegetables, herbs and salads. The use of these valuable spaces in this way would allow the community at large to benefit from food with a high nutritional value, an extremely low cost, as well as increasing the amount of vegetation in the urban environment.'

Their site www.foodupfront.org has a wealth of information as well as explaining their use of 'Street Reps' to help residents in their locality in practical ways.

RED RHYTHM AT TATTON

 

The RHS show at Tatton Park is on this week, the last of the major gardening shows of the year.

Perhaps ones vision gets stilted having viewed so many display gardens over the last few months - but there has not been many that have taken my eye at Tatton.

One though stands out. It is by a young designer, Lee Belgrau who is studying at Reaseheath College. The garden called Red Rhythm is a contemporary garden for a young professional couple being designed for entertainment and relaxation.

The red of the vertical pillars and the red themed herbaceous planting contrast strongly against the blue grey of the paving. It is a strong well thought out design with some excellent planting.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/whatson/shows/tattonpark2009/youngleebelgrau.asp

PRIMARY COLOURS FOR 2010 LEISURE FURNITURE

More from my visit to SOLEX, The Summer Outdoor Living Exhibition, at Telford last week.

 

The Lyon Lovers Recliner Sofa with cushions from www.alexander-rose.co.uk

The Lyon, new for 2010, is the ideal leisure furniture unit for those of us with small outdoor spaces. It has multiple functions - sofa, recliner, lounger and even as a bed - for the more adventurous lovers! Made from poly-weave for all weather use it comes with a range of cushions in primary colours. Should be available for around £949.00 in stockists next year.

CONES OF COLOURS UPDATES

 

My hanging cones of Impatiens Accent Salmonhave amazingly survived the recent gale force winds and torrential rain and are really looking magnificent. I have been feeding them every ten days with a general soluble feed and watering well even on rainy days, as the foliage canopy now is so complete that little rain water gets through to the compost.

This is the first year I have planted the cones with a single colour instead of a mixture so am really pleased with the result. They really are 'cones of colour'.

SUMMER FOAM FOR 2010 GARDEN FURNITURE

 

Last week I spent a couple of days at SOLEX the Summer Outdoor Living Exhibition at Telford. It is the trade show where all the main leisure furniture suppliers launch their ranges for 2010.

The main trend sees suppliers moving away from hardwood furniture and more towards metal, granite and polyweave. There was some really stylish furniture but the most eye catching was from www.westminsterfurniture.eu. Their Q&M foam range was produced in conjunction with the world famous designers Quinze and Milan. At the core of these products is a revolutionary coated Q&M foam which is completely weather and water resistant, UV colour stable and flame retardant. The range is stylish and amazingly comfortable, perfect for a garden room or outdoors.

Available in black, sand and white from stock but also with a further 22 colour choices via a premium special order. The range includes armchairs, relaxers, loungers and a modular seating system. It is not cheap, an armchair retailing around the £1000 mark, but what a statement as a focal point in a minimalist yard.

 

 

DARTMOOR BENCHES

 

Read this saturday in Kate Weinberg's Small Spaces column in the Saturday Telegraph gardening supplement about Dartmoor Benches.

These benches made by www.dartmoorbenchcompany.co.uk using sustainable materials - English Oak and reclaimed granite.

'In keeping with the ethos of our company we have designed our benches to blend seamlessly with the environment in which they are placed, whether it be urban, garden or moorland. The idea is that they are something that you stumble upon rather than being a focal point in themselves. Made to order these benches can be made to any length'

The benches  cost about £100 per foot run.

http://www.dartmoorbenchcompany.co.uk/handmade-benches.php

GROW YOUR OWN - ROUND TWO

 

Visiting our local B&Q store this weekend I saw these newly arrived veg plants.They are a mixture of vegetables, mainly leaf greens including salad leaves and kale, for planting now and cropping later in the summer. They are excellent value at £1.78 a pack or four packs for £5 and the pack sizes are just right for the small garden grower.

www.diy.com

CROCOSMIA - IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY

 

Crocosmia lucifer is a great plant for very small gardens. It can be bought as ready grown plants or very cheaply as dried corms in the spring.

Th green spears of foliage grows quickly in spring creatingan interesting moving feature in the wind. The stunning burning red flowers are produced in late June/early July and cannot be beaten for dramatic effect. The flowers will carry on for about six weeks leaving dark shiny seeds in their place.Crocosmia will incease in size producing more corms at the edge of the clumps but it is easy to dig up in the winter and divide, replant elsewhere or give to friends.